Assam now "much better place to live": Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam has transformed into a "much better place to live", Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, highlighting the progress made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state since 2016, particularly in Northeast.

Speaking at the TV9 Bharatvarsh Satta Sammelan, CM Biswa emphasised that the state has become a better place to live, with indigenous people regaining control over land, politics, and government jobs.

CM Biswa said, "The BJP government came to power in Assam in 2016. Modi ji sarkar came in 2014. Today, Assam is a much better place to live. You used the word "Khilonjia, "which translates to Indigenous. Today, our people dominate Assam," CM Biswa said.

Sarma also addressed concerns about immigration, deportation, and identification, acknowledging the complexity of these issues. He reassured that the government has made significant strides in reclaiming lost spaces.

"These issues, if you talk about the numbers, are very tough jobs. If you talk about the numbers in Assam, it can go to lakhs, it can go to crores. But I can only say this, that today in Assam, our people, they have recaptured everything that had gone out of our hands; today, we have reclaimed everything. From land to political space to government jobs, whatever space had gone out of our hands, we have reclaimed everything," said the Assam CM.

When asked about being called the "Hindu Hriday Samrat," Sarma humbly corrected that it's not about being a king but rather taking pride in being a Hindu. He explained that the term "Hindu" encompasses a broader definition, allowing for the coexistence of Muslims and Christians in India.

"See, it is not Samrat. I feel proud to be called a Hindu," said Sarma.
He also emphasised that the presence of Hindus in India allows for the coexistence of other religions like Islam and Christianity.

"There are Hindus in this country, and that is why there are Muslims here. There were Muslims in Pakistan, and today, there are no Hindus in Pakistan. There are Hindus in this country, and therefore, there are Muslims and Christians in this country. This is the definition of Hindu, and I feel proud about it," CM Biswa said.

Sarma also expressed concerns about the shrinking political and cultural space for indigenous people in North-Eastern India, citing demographic changes and the growth of madrassas since 1951. He emphasised the need to address these issues to preserve the region's culture and identity.

"See, the situation with Jharkhand is worse than that with Assam. It will take time....In northeastern India, we have a problem: our culture, the culture of our country, and the political space of our people are getting squeezed. You see the demographic change since 1951, how many madrassas were there in 1951, and how many are there today. What was the population of a particular religion in 1951, and what is its population today? If you do a complete assessment, you will find that the space for people of Bharat is getting squeezed. And for those who were not in Bharat, their space is increasing. This is a reality," he added.